Controller.



A HALL.

CONTROLLERQ APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4.19I3- 1,260,665. Patented Mar. 26,1918.

WITNESSES:

I 'INVEETOR W I 7 ATTOfiNEYx sTATEs PA ENT oFFIcn.

ARTHUR J. HALL, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROLLER.

Specificationiof Letters Eatent. Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Application filed December 4, 1913. Serial No. 804,645.

To all whom it may concern r Be it. own that I, ARTHUR J. HALL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of WVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in I Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to contact devices for electrical apparatus, and it has special reference to such devices as are used in connection with switching apparatus of the 'tially obviate the burning or pitting which usually takes place in devices of this class.

A still further object is to provide lubricating means which shall serve to prolong the life of the cooperating contact members and shall render the switch or controller more readily operative.

Contact devices of this class, as heretofore used, have been of such construction as to be subjected to a great, deal of friction,

burning and damage incident to the well known buckling of the fingers.

It is my purpose to provide a contact device of relatively few partswhich are composed of such materials and are so assembled and disposed with respect to one another that the objects h'ereinbefore mentioned are attained;

In the accompanying drawing, the single figure is a view,i.partially-in section and partially in plan, of a portion of a controller embodying my invention.

Reference may now be had to the drawing, in which the device shown embodies a shaft 1, an insulating collar 2 and a spider 3 having oppositely projecting arms 4:.

:Mounted on each "of the arms 4:, by means I of screws 5, .is a conducting segment 6 :which is provided with an end portion 7 projecting beyond the arm 4 and which is preferably constructed of cold rolled steel.

' Adjacent to the end portion 7 of the segmeiit dis a substantially V shaped notch 17 in the arm at to receive a member 8 of high-- resistance material having lubricating qualities, such as carbon and graphite, or thel'ike. The member 8 is provided with a shoulder 9 which fits against the end portion 7, and its outer surface 10 is in alinement with the outer face of the segment 6 to .form a continuous contact bearing surface.

The member 8 is in intimate engagement with. the arm 4 and segment 6, whereby a good electrical contact is secured.

Being thus engaged on one side by the securely held in position by a block 11 of ipsulating material which is secured to a face 12 of the arm 4 by screws 13. The block 11 has a face 14 hearing against the memberS and an outer surface 15 which is curved from the path oftravel of the segment 6 1n suchmanner as to serve as a gradual approach for a contact finger 16 to'the member 8 and the segment 6. During the operationof thedevice, when the drum is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the finger 16 first engages the insulating approach block 11 and then" is brought into ongagement with the member 8, which takes the are without damage to the segment 6 upon which the finger 16 finally-rests. In the reverse direction, the-'member 8 isagam I the arcing point.

In passing to'and over the member 8. the finger 16 takes up andd-istributes a certain portion of the graphite or other similar substance in the member 8, which; acts as a lubricant to insure smooth operation.

4 arm 4- and the segment 6, the member 8 1s By the use of cooperating contactmembers of copper and, steel; I-obtain a device which withstands the-j wearing *eflects of friction to a greater degree; than has here tofore been possible:

-' While I have shown a Specific form of my invention and a particular adaptation thereof, the structural details and. arrangement and location,of parts-zsmay obviously be varied materially without, departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and such modifications are intended to be cov-' ered by the appended claims I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a contact finger, of a rotatable member, a contact segment concentric withsaid rotatable member and mounted thereon, and an insulating member constituting a curved approach for said segment secured to said rotatable member, said insulating member having a diameter that, gradually increases to substantially that of the contact segment,

The combination with a contact linger,

of a rotatable member, a contact segment on The combination with a rotatable mem-- ber having a contact segment thereon, of a resistoradapted to form a continuation of said segment, and an insulating block having an outer face gradually approaching the outer faces of said resistor and said segment.

at. The combination with a rotatable member having a contact segment and an insulating block thereon, of a resistor interim diate' said segment and said blocl; and held in position thereby.

5. The combination with a rotatable member having a contact segment and an insulating block thereon. of a lubricating member intermediate said segment and said blocl' and held in position thereby.

(S. The combination with a rotatable member having;- aprojecting' arm and a'contact segment on said arm and projecting beyond it. of an insulating block on said arm, and

a lubricating member having a portion thereof disposed beneath said projecting segment and engaged by said block.

I. The combination with a rotatable member provided with a pluralit oi projecting portions having an opening between. them, of a detachable lubrir'rating member disposed in said opening, and a conducting member associated with one of said projecting p0r tioinsand having a part thereof engaging said detachable member for holding it, in position.

h: The combination with a stationary contact member and a relatively movable member, of :1 second contact member, a combined luln-icating and resistance member and an insulating approach, all detachably secured to said movable member and adapted to be successively brought into engagement with said' stationarv contact member.

5). The combination with a contact mem ber, of a relatively movable approach member of insulating material, a resistance member and a second contact member all adapted to be brought into smoothly successive cooperative engagement with said first contact member.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed mv name this 28th dav of Now.

ARTHUR J. HALL.

Witnesses l L. T\T.\EI IS, B. B. HIXES.

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